The well-known ballcock comprises a valve which is actuated by a float. Typically, a ballcock comprises a valve mounted on a standpipe that is coupled through an inlet in a tank. Provided the valve is open, the standpipe conducts water through the valve to fill the tank. The valve is operated by the vertical motion of the float. The valve allows water to flow into the tank and progressively elevate the ball until the ballcock valve is closed.
A disadvantage with conventional ballcock valves is that they are arranged to be mounted at a fixed position on the standpipe. Accordingly, the valve does not easily accomodate different sizes of tanks. In addition, this known valve is arranged so that if it malfunctions the valve and the standpipe are both replaced. Removal of the standpipe is a particularly troublesome task since it requires the loosening of nuts which are in contact with the tank surface and which have been submerged for a considerable period of time. In the case where the tank is the china flush tank of a toilet, removal of the standpipe is complicated by the fact that this china is brittle and easily cracked. Moreover, removal of the standpipe results in a significant waste of brass and copper, a scarce natural resource.
The present invention avoids the foregoing problems by providing a valve which is mounted on a conduit which is sized to fit over a standpipe. The conduit employs a pliable seal so that the height of the valve can be vertically adjusted. In the instance where a conventional ballcock valve is to be replaced, the apparatus disclosed herein allows such replacement without disconnecting the standpipe from the tank. In a disclosed method the standpipe is severed and the new valve is mounted by telescoping its dependent conduit over the severed standpipe.
The apparatus in the preferred embodiment also employs a pliable gasket spaced from and aligned with the above-mentioned pliable seal. Thus, this complimentary arrangement insures structural rigidity while the use of pliable material provides a degree of noise isolation. Accordingly, vibrations associated with gradual closing of the valve are attenuated through the pliable seal and gasket.